Natural Flair

Natural Flair

Indeed, Mansour al-Safran has come a long way since he was first discovered in 2006 during Red Bull’s Street Style event in Kuwait, and even after years of BMX experience under his belt, Mansour still has his feet deeply rooted to the ground.

In August, Mansour put his busy schedule on hold and took the time to visit Qatar to conduct a two-day workshop at the XRebels Park housed inside the Summer Entertainment City (SEC), the centerpiece of the Qatar Summer Festival 2017.
Aside from hooking up with XTork Magazine’s very own XRebels, Mansour shared his experiences as a Red Bull sponsored athlete and gave a demonstration of some of his favorite BMX tricks, particularly the ‘flair’, during the workshop.
The seven-year Kuwait and GCC BMX champion was basically self-taught and took inspiration from Mat “The Condor” Hoffman when he started riding the BMX at age 16. His achievements as a professional BMX athlete truly serve an inspiration to his peers and young audience.
Aside from joining numerous competitions, Mansour also takes time to judge other athletes in BMX contests. Not only that, he also organizes a variety of extreme sports events in the GCC and other Middle East countries.
Recalling his first visit to Qatar, Mansour said there weren’t any BMX riders in sight, but in the years that followed, he said he was more than happy to meet some members of Qatar’s growing BMX community.

Mansour also lauded Xtork Magazine for being instrumental in promoting extreme sports in Qatar.
“I was surprised by a lot of amazing guys who ride BMX in Doha. The BMX community in Qatar is getting bigger and bigger. You guys are the future; keep going,” said Mansour, who encouraged everyone to “Read. Ride. Explore.”
Asked about his two-day stint at the XRebels Park, Mansour said: “I love it! I just love riding at the XRebels Park with the Xtork guys.”
Speaking to Xtork Magazine about the impact of Mansour’s workshop at the XRebels Park, SEC head of marketing Michael Stellwag said: “We were very pleased with Mansour’s visit to Qatar, as he came to enthrall our audiences and inspire youth to try the sport. He was quite the hit with the kids, who saw him flawlessly execute some amazing tricks in mid-air.
“Mansour took the time to teach kids how to safely ride and to attempt tricks without injury. There were ramps of all sizes, so even beginners had their chance to be like a Red Bull athlete.”
Stellwag also commended Xtork Magazine for setting up the XRebels Park, which attracted thousands of young children, including extreme sports athletes from every nook and cranny in Qatar.
“Thanks to Xtork’s XRebels Park initiative, Qatar residents finally had a venue to explore the benefits of getting a kick out of extreme sports!